Thank You
by Kode Dekka
Summary: A short one-shot detailing the final moments between Miu and Ayane after an attack.


The bleeding wouldn't stop, there was nothing I could do for her. Ayane Isuzu, she was dying, because of my failure, because of me. The two of us were trapped under some rubble, inside of an abandoned building, all alone. Our comrade, Satoka, she was on her way, but it may already be to late.

No, I couldn't think like that, not when my most important person was slipping away from me. Her eyes remained half-closed, she had been like that for a while, but her breathing was calm, she still had time. "Miu..."

My name, which she rarely called, she said it so softly, like I've never heard before. I faced her, I wished that she would say my name again like that, just once more. "It's, it's already too late." My eyes widened, I wanted to cry. She held her wound, the blood kept coming out, no matter how much pressure I applied on her hand to keep it shut, it remained open. "Thank you, Miu. That's already enough, go now, while you still can."

"Isuzu-san..." I didn't like her tone, the feeling of her calm voice made me uneasy. I missed the old her, the one that ridiculed me, yelled at me, called me useless, I knew that person was never going to leave me. This Ayane, she seemes so peaceful, like she has already accepted her death, she's ready to go.

She even smiled, a sober smile I had not seen on her face before, it was mesmerizing, and sad. "Miu, please leave me here, I already know it's too late for me. You can still go, with that gate of yours, you can go somewhere far, maybe a place that hasn't yet fallen to greed and dispair." I didn't like those words, why was she saying such cruel things to me? Didn't she know? Despite the difference in power between us, despite the distance between our hearts, despite the anger and the insults, despite the fact that we're both women. Despite all of this, didn't she know?

I loved her. "I wont go," I loved her. "I wont go, Isuzu-san." I loved her. "I'll stay here with you," I loved her. "I'll stay as long as I'm allowed," I loved her. "Until the end of time, if you would have me." I love you, Isuzu-san.

The somber smile on her face retracted into a sad grin. "Why are you acting so cool? Why only now do you show this side to me?" Ayane Isuzu, the strongest Gate Keeper, the strongest and most solitary person I know, for once I felt that our hearts had connected, if only for this moment, I think I understood her loneliness at last.

She coughed, there was still so much blood, it was incredible, if not scary. I could feel it, she was getting weaker, there was almost no time left. I wanted to do it soon, needed to. I must show her my feelings. At the very least, I don't want to have any regrets, no matter what outcome there is to this situation.

She laughed, in between her coughs, she laughed at me, it was the first time I've ever heard such a sound from her. "Miu, it's fine. I know, I understand already, I _do _too." Was she reading my mind? Maybe, but even so, that wasn't enough. I wanted to tell her, I needed to tell her.

"I love you, Isuzu-san." So out of character for us, why in this time did we act so unlike ourselves? Maybe it was the strength of our feelings that made us act so differently, or maybe we both knew that our time was up, we could no longer hold back our true selves.

She smiled again, a genuine smile filled with joy. "I love you too, Miu. You always were my friend, I'm sorry that I never acted like a good one." I rubbed the tears from my eyes, shook my head, such silly words. She laughed and coughed again, more blood and even less time. Her eyes, barely able to stay open, locked on me, forever serious. "Just this once Miu," More blood, so much blood. Weaker, weaker. "Just this once, call me 'Ayane'." I smiled in return to her.

"Yes, Ayane." She glowed with satisfaction.

"One more time..." Her head fell back a bit.

"Ayane." I leaned in close to her, she seemed to have understood.

"One more time...."

"Ayane.." We were so close now, just a breath away.

"One more..." She was so close, it was almost time.

"Ayane..." The tears in my eyes really fell this time, on to her face, which was so close, our noses touched.

"One..." She stopped, smiled at me, then closed her eyes.

"Ayane." I kissed, the two of us kissed for the first and last time. It was a long kiss, the blood made it taste bitter, I even swallowed some of it. I held her close to me, I wouldn't let her go, not right now.

When we parted, she was nearly out of breath, we both were, but her's nearly stopped altogether. "That's enough, Miu. Thank you, Miu." Ayane's eyes remained closed, and her breathing was slowly starting to fade away, I wasn't ready for it.

"Please, don't leave me yet." She chuckled softly, even raised her weak hand to my cheek and wiped my tears away. "Ayane..." I clasped her hand in my own.

"Don't cry Miu, you'll make me..." It was too late, she was crying too, such happy tears fell from her face. "Miu," She stopped, "Thank you for being born."

Her hand dropped. Just then, a light broke through the ceiling, and I felt the presence of our friends, here to save us. Satoka's face popped in from the light, her voice waved in and alerted us that we were safe. I wasn't paying attention to that, not at all. It was finished.

Ayane, she had already fallen into a eternally peaceful sleep.

_**A/N: Just a short one-shot, felt inspired. ****Also, if you listen to the song "Thank you for being born" by dai (Umineko no naku koro ni EP 4 OST) then this story looks and feels much better. ****Thanks for reading. **_


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